


By the Fire

by TheGreenMeridian



Category: The Terror (TV 2018), The Terror - Dan Simmons
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Bottom Francis, Don’t copy to another site, Established Relationship, M/M, PWP
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-16 17:54:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21501760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGreenMeridian/pseuds/TheGreenMeridian
Summary: “You know Francis, firelight suits you,” he began one evening, casting an admiring eye over his lover’s seated figure. “You’ve the skin tone for it.”Francis grunted and flipped a page in his book. “Flattery, James? Anyone would think you were after something.”Part of Terror Bingo
Relationships: Captain Francis Crozier/Commander James Fitzjames
Comments: 13
Kudos: 102
Collections: The Terror Bingo (2019)





	By the Fire

**Author's Note:**

> Another Terror Bingo fill! This is for the square ‘established relationship’.

“You know Francis, firelight suits you,” he began one evening, casting an admiring eye over his lover’s seated figure. “You’ve the skin tone for it.”

Francis grunted and flipped a page in his book. “Flattery, James? Anyone would think you were after something.”

“You wound me! Can a man not simply admire the handsomeness of another without being accused of ulterior motives?”

“A man can,” said Francis, looking up from the book to raise an eyebrow at him, “but you, darling James, are a scoundrel, not a man.”

James huffed and rose to his feet in mock annoyance. “How dare you, Francis! I wished only to compliment you but if that’s how you’re going to thank me then perhaps I ought to-“

“Oh, stop pouting and come here. Thank you, James. I can’t say I know what you’re talking about but if you say I look alright, I’ll take your word for it.”

Gladly, James came to Francis and stood in front of him. He picked up the book and placed it carefully on the table, all while holding Francis’ gaze. The firelight really did suit him, his eyes looked more glacial than ever in the soft glow and the shadows cast by the ridges and valleys of his face served to emphasise his rugged masculinity. Most notably, the arch of his brow, as it now quirked up to match the smirk forming on Francis’ lips.

“Well, you may not have been entirely wrong to question my motivations. There is something I’d like, my darling,” James said, giving a slight smirk of his own.

“Hmm? And what would that be, dear James?”

As reply, James dipped his head to capture Francis’ lips with his own. It was impossible to tire of these first, chaste kisses that preluded something more. The frantic urgency of their first embrace, hurried by both necessity and desire, had been most enjoyable but these soft kisses never failed to provide James with the needed reminder that they were safe now. That they had both of them survived to have these leisurely moments before giving into the building hunger.

One calloused hand cupped James’ cheek and gently eased him back until their lips barely touched. “Should I take that to mean you wish to retire to bed early tonight?”

“Actually, I was thinking we could stay here a while. I do so enjoy you by firelight, after all,” James replied. He toyed with the top button of Francis’ shirt and rested their foreheads together. “Would you allow me to see more of you?”

One of the hands James loved so much weaved up through the hair at the nape of his neck until it cradled his head, and he was pulled into another kiss, a little fiercer than before but no less sweet. Despite the distraction, it was quick work for him to divest Francis of his shirt, and he let it fall to the floor beside the chair before finally pulling back to look his fill of Francis’ bare torso.

“You are magnificent Francis. Truly. All broad shoulders and thick trunk, and such a lovely collection of freckles.” James danced his fingertips across Francis’ chest, flicking lightly across his rosy nipples and enjoying the way they tightened under his touch despite the warmth from the fire. “I’m a lucky man indeed, to have a claim on such beauty.”

Naturally, a flush bloomed on Francis’ cheeks at that, spreading across his chest in blotches. “Think you might want to consider getting some spectacles.”

Nonetheless, he allowed himself to be pulled to his feet and didn’t resist as James undid his trousers and pushed them to the floor. He was already half hard, despite how awkwardly he stood under scrutiny, flexing his hands and tensing his belly.

“Stop that,” James chided. “I want to see you as you are, Francis. Not as you think I want you to be.”

Obediently, though with a frown, Francis relaxed his stomach and allowed his plumpness to become obvious. He was still stocky as he’d been during his career, but he’d always carried extra weight and retirement had combined with the joy of being able to eat after near starvation to added a little more. To James’ eyes though, he was wonderful, and he reached for Francis’ hips and sunk his fingers into the excess gathered on them with a soft groan of appreciation.

“I used to dream of getting my hands on you like this,” James said softly. “Alone, in my cabin. Even when we despised each other, I wanted you. And I still can’t quite believe you’re mine, even after all this time. Sometimes I think I must have died on the tundra, and you are my Divine reward.”

The redness on Francis’ cheeks grew darker, and he gently brushed a lock of James’ hair behind his ear. “Christ, James... I don’t...”

“Shh, it’s ok, my darling. Let me love you, hmm?”

Ignoring the tightness between his thighs, James sank to his knees with as much grace as he could muster. His face was level with Francis’ fat prick, which was by now practically at it’s full size. A little below average in length, perhaps, but thick and well shaped, with a leaking head protruding slightly from it’s ample hood. James adored it, it suited it’s owner perfectly and fitted so neatly in his mouth. It pulsed as he wrapped his long fingers around it, a fresh bead of slick gathered at its tip and practically begged to be tasted. Another followed as he gently pulled the skin back to fully bare the head of it, and he wasted no time in gathering them both on his tongue with a practiced flick.

“Oh James, that’s... Christ...” Francis groaned from above him. 

As he always did when James was knelt before him, he smoothed his hand over James’ thick hair and rested his hand on his crown, not guiding his movements in anyway but merely anchoring himself to the experience. In response, James nudged his legs apart a tad further to allow himself access to the lightly furred sack that hung between them. The smell of Francis’ arousal, musky and so alluring, was one that never failed to set his blood ablaze and he pressed his nose into the wrinkled skin to gather a lungful of it. Francis wobbled where he stood, and James let out a small laugh at how easy it was to undo him. He sucked a kiss to the crease between scrotum and thigh. Again, Francis wobbled, this time with a low moan accompanying the movement. 

“I think it’s best we get you something to lean on, hm? Lest you fall and injure us both,” James said, smirking against Francis’ thigh.

“Damn you, siren. Why can’t we just go to bed?”

“Because darling, I’m not finished having my fun with you. Here,” he said, standing and tugging at Francis’ hand, “come grasp the back of this chair, that’s it.”

Despite obvious confusion, Francis did as he was told, and James took a moment to admire his shapely rear as it jutted out from the slightly bent pose. 

“Is there enough room for you to...” Francis asked, looking over his shoulder.

James flashed the most dazzling and flirtatious smile in his repertoire. “Oh yes darling, there’s quite enough room for what I have planned.”

And with that he sank to his knees behind Francis and pulled his buttocks apart, giving the man no room for protest before pushing his face between them and dragging his tongue across Francis’ entrance. The effect was immediate. Francis slumped forward over the chair with a loud curse, his thighs quivering and his breath coming in hard pants.

“Christ, James! I... good Lord, do that again,” he groaned.

Of course, James was happy to obey, repositioning his grasp on those bountiful cheeks to better reach his goal and licking a stripe across it before circling the puckered skin with the tip of his tongue. Francis actually whimpered at that, and pushed his backside into James’ face. It had taken some persuading for him to allow this the first time, such an act seemingly a step too far over the line of obscenity even for a man who had willingly taken a prick in his arse, but James had been proven correct in his assessment that Francis would absolutely love it and it was now a treasured part of their lovemaking. He’d even begun to reciprocate of late, his misgivings rapidly giving way at the noises James made, which he had pronounced ‘filthier than those of a French doxy’.

Again, James traced his hole and again, Francis shivered and groaned. James could feel the tight muscle fluttering beneath his tongue with every wriggle, twitching every time the tip slipped into the centre of it. Francis was so quick to relax to intrusions, but especially so when James performed this particular act, and it was short work to press his tongue into him as deep as he could go and begin fucking him slowly with it, occasionally withdrawing to suck at his rim or flick around it and tease the sensitive skin. He retreated for a moment to push a finger from each hand into the slackened hole and spread it just enough to better accept his tongue, and Francis made a noise that sounded rather like a sob. Unwilling to leave the man wanting for any length of time, James delved back between Francis’ buttocks and pushed his tongue between his fingers. The stretch provided him the opportunity to tease the walls of Francis’ muscle with the tip of his tongue, as well as push the entire thing deeper than before and wriggle it. Again, Francis let out a choked sob, and his knees seemed to buckle slightly beneath him.

“F-fuck, James, I can’t... dear God man, I need-“ he stammered, his arse now rocking into James’ face helplessly. James merely hummed a question and pulled him apart a little further. “In me. Now, damn you!”

Not one to ever deny his lover and becoming quite desperate for relief himself, James hurriedly rose to his feet, shoved his trousers to his thighs, and sunk into Francis in one swift movement.

“Oh yes... oh Francis, darling, you’re exquisite,” he moaned, feeling the man’s walls tremble around him.

“Please, love...” came Francis’ weak plea in response.

Unwilling to make either of them wait a moment longer, James grasped Francis’ hips and fucked into him hard, setting a steady pace that he doubted he’d be able to maintain for long. But given the constant stream of curses coming from Francis’ lips, it was unlikely to be a problem. With every push forward into Francis’ willing body, James grunted at the feeling of bottoming out inside him, of tight velvet walls totally encasing his prick and the knowledge that every inch of him was deep in this man he loved so much. There was nothing he cherished so much as being utterly joined with Francis; this strong, stubborn, wonderful man who’d captured his heart and who for some strange reason seemed to love him in return. 

“Oh Francis... I-oh God, I’ll not last,” he said, feeling the growing pressure behind his prick become almost painful. “Come for me, love. I want to feel you.”

Francis whined, though he made no movement to take himself in hand and bring himself off. There had been times where Francis had shot off completely untouched, to the surprise of them both, and given the current state of him, it seemed likely that this would be one such occasion. James pushed deep and began grinding his hips in rough circles, knowing full well that the stimulation this provided to that mysterious spot within would drive Francis wild. Beneath him, Francis began struggling to breathe, his walls clenching tight around James’ prick and his body shaking with need.

“‘M close, fuck, J-James, ‘m gonna.. Christ, fuck... Oh f-fuh-“

With a loud moan that quickly devolved into a sob, Francis shot off, spasming around James’ prick in hard waves and bucking against him wildly. It was too much to bear, and with a final slam of his hips, James was gasping and spilling into him. He slumped forward over Francis’ back as he felt his legs go weak from the force of it, too addled to do anything else but groan Francis’ name and press sloppy kisses to his freckled back. 

When he felt Francis begin to crumple somewhat beneath him, he stood up properly and clumsily pulled Francis into a hug, holding him tight against his body and wishing he’d shed the rest of his clothing.

“Bloody hell, James, can we go to bed now?” Francis mumbled shakily into his chest.

James laughed at that, at how grumpy Francis could be even in times like this and how wonderfully endearing he found it the first time, to his surprise. There was no artifice with Francis, and perhaps that was why so few seemed to appreciate him. Francis was himself, good or bad, and that’s exactly what you got from him. And for that, James had come to love him dearly. He was stubborn, difficult, and prone to melancholy, but he was also the most loyal and loving man James had ever met, and he was thankful for every day he had in his company.

“Come on darling,” he whispered into Francis’ greying blond hair. “Let’s go to bed.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thegreenmeridian@tumblr.com


End file.
